Jack Phelps, chair of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor board of trustees, and trustee Martin Knox congratulate UMHB President Randy O’Rear on the university’s successful campaign, which raised $82.2 million dollars for scholarships and campus improvements. (UMHB Photo)

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Donors gave more than $82 million to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor’s “Momentum” fund-raising campaign, exceeding the original goal by $22 million. UMHB launched the campaign in 2012 to fund its comprehensive campus master plan, focused on six areas—student life, visual arts, performing arts, nursing education, football and scholarships. By the campaign’s end Dec. 31, 2017, donors gave $18.6 million for scholarships, and the face of the campus was changed dramatically by the addition of six new facilities—the Cummins Field House, Baugh Center for the Visual Arts, Isabelle Rutherford Meyer Nursing Education Center, Crusader Stadium, Bawcom Student Center, and Sue and Frank Mayborn Performing Arts Center—and the repurposing of several more.

Tim Lancaster, president and chief executive officer of Hendrick Health System in Abilene, received the Earl M. Collier Award for Distinguished Health Care Administration from the Texas Hospital Association. The award—the highest honor bestowed by the association—recognizes outstanding executives who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to the health care industry and their profession, who are leaders in providing quality health care services, and who are active in the association and other industry groups.

Wayland Baptist University received an $8 million unrestricted estate gift from an alumnus who wished to remain anonymous. It is the largest single cash gift in the school’s 109-year history.

The Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board recognized the Baptist General Convention of Texas for recording the highest number of baptisms of any state Baptist convention. Texas Baptist churches recorded 28,765 baptisms in 2016. It marked the second consecutive year Texas Baptists received the national recognition.

East Texas Baptist University’s School of Nursing Campaign exceeded its $1.8 million fund-raising goal to move the nursing school to downtown Marshall. About 180 donors contributed more than $2.3 million. ETBU plans to relocate the School of Nursing to the former Marshall Grand hotel in the 2019 spring semester. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer.

Texas Baptist Men named Roy Stanford director of donor advising, Jim Young restorative justice ministry coordinator and Harold McKamy accounting manager. Stanford began working as a volunteer with TBM’s agricultural missions program in 2008 and has served on staff in donor relations since 2014. Young’s previous experience includes service as chaplaincy program administrator with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas’ Missions Equipping Center. McKamy has worked in the consulting, construction, travel and manufacturing industries.

Jordan Hahn and Isaac Sommers

Howard Payne University students Jordan Hahn, sophomore from Burnet, and Isaac Sommers, senior from Boerne, were named National Brief Writing Champions during the American Moot Court Association’s national competition at the University of North Texas at Dallas College of Law. Hahn and Sommers secured HPU’s second national championship title in the history of collegiate Moot Court, with the previous title occurring in 2002. Moot Court is a competition during which students participate in the preparation and arguing of cases in front of judges, designed to simulate argument before the United States Supreme Court. In addition to writing the top brief, HPU’s team was ranked ninth in the oral component of the national tournament, placing in the top 3 percent. Additionally, each student was recognized as a top orator in the tournament, with Hahn finishing as the 13th top speaker and Sommers finishing as the 20th top speaker.

Poet Amena Brown Owen was the keynote speaker at the second annual East Texas Baptist University Women’s Summit on Monday, January 29. The event included a chapel service, women’s leadership luncheon and evening session for female students, faculty and staff. Owen is the author of five spoken word CDs and a nonfiction book, Breaking Old Rhythms, along with her newest book, How to Fix a Broken Record.

Anniversaries

90th for Calvary Baptist Church in Waco. The congregation will mark its anniversary in the 10:45 a.m. worship service, Feb. 11, with the installation of Mary Alice Birdwhistell as pastor. Former pastor Julie Pennington-Russell, now senior pastor of First Baptist Church of the City in Washington, D.C., will preach.

25th for Rick Carpenter as associate pastor of pastoral care at University Baptist Church in Houston.

25th for Doug Diehl as senior pastor at Crossroads Baptist Church in San Antonio.

15th for Todd Wilson as music and worship pastor at First Baptist Church in Abilene.

10th for John Moore as missions pastor at First Baptist Church in Abilene.

Retirement

Don Parks from Central Baptist Church in Marshall, where he served 30 years as minister of music and senior adults.

Gene Pepiton from Wichita Archer Clay Baptist Association, where he served 30 years as director of missions.